To trust again †dead†
by Dead end girl
Summary: Bulma breaks up with Yumcha but something unexpected happens on her way home that will change her life for good. And what if Vegeta is suddenly confronted with his past? (crappy summary) Plz R
1. Prologue † Our season went by

  


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**.To trust again:::… 

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Disclaimer:**   
DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
  
**Symbols:**   
"….." = Talking   
*…..* = Thinking   
[…..] = Author's note   
  


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**Prologue** ~~ Our season went by 

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You called up late   
Said you wanted to talk   
I was afraid   
Cause you spoke so softly   
  
You took my hand   
Slowly started to cry   
I can't understand   
Why our season went by   
  
You turned away   
Slowly opened the door   
Said you could not stay   
You couldn't take it no more   
  
It started to rain   
Tears kept falling from the sky   
It did not stop the pain   
  
  
Bulma wiped away her tears as she walked down the street, a slight fog forming around her as a cold wind started tugging at her hair. She wasn't really paying much attention to it though, her break-up with Yumcha was still very much on her mind as night's darkness started to creep through the streets. Things had been a little shifty between the couple for a few weeks now but the blue haired genius had continued to tell herself she was just being paranoid, trusting her spouse would never cheat on her. How wrong she was…   
  
She sighed and closed her jacket tightly to keep the rain from coming in, wondering if she had done the right thing. At first it had seemed he was the one for her, but then it all started to change. He began seeing other girls, she would catch him lying just to get out of meeting her, not to mention that strange message she'd once found on his answering machine.   
  
She growled to herself as she shook the thoughts from her head, why did she have to park the car so far from that bastards house. She did that almost every time she went to visit him, his building was surrounded by little parks and such and she always enjoyed walking through them, she always had Yumcha to walk her back to her car anyway. Too bad she hadn't predicted this night's events before she parked it a mile away from the guy's apartment!   
  
Just as she passed the last piece of fence on her way, indicating the last piece of park was behind her, raindrops started to fall from the sky. *great, just my luck* she thought grimly but kept on going anyway since she hadn't bothered to take a spare capsule with her.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta swallowed the last bite of his midnight snack and leaned back in the kitchen chair with a slight sigh. He looked up at the ceiling and wondered what to do, he had been having those really annoying nightmares again so sleeping was out of the question. He didn't feel like training either which was probably a first for him. With a grunt he stood up and walked out of the door, slamming it shut behind him, not even caring if the Briefs' could wake up.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma rounded a corner, hoping the black clouds above would pass over soon but the rain only started to poor down harder *Just a little further* she thought, her car was parked just one street away. She started walking a little faster, trying her best to block out all thought involving Yumcha, when she suddenly stopped her quick pace.   
  
The street in front of her, the last street she had to cross to get to her goal, was completely shrouded in a thick, black shadow. This part of the city was known as a particularly poor area and pretty much all of the streetlights where broken, smashed by rocks, bullets and kami knows what else.   
  
She hesitated, she didn't feel like going the other way to her car, it was much longer and it was too cold and wet to take such a long way when she could easily take a short-cut. She sighed, what was the worse that could happen?   
  
She continued walking. It was unusually quit, no baby's crying their eyes out, no dogs barking, no couples arguing, no glass breaking, nothing at all and it was quite unnerving. There was absolutely no sound coming from the houses that she passed, all dark and looming over her like they could crumble and crush her any minute, causing a shudder to run across the woman's back.   
  
After a couple of minutes, a slight frown started to form on Bulma's face, was there someone in front of her or was she imagining things? She pulled some wet strands of hair out of her vision and immediately froze, there _was_ someone there..   
  
She strained her eyes to see more but it was no use. All she could tell was that it was a man, judging from his build. A knot formed in her stomach as he suddenly started walking up to her, continuing until he was just a few feet away from her and she could see him quite clearly.   
  
"Hi there miss, are you lost?" he asked with a smile that just couldn't be real. He had long, black hair, tied back in an untidy bun. He was also wearing a leather jacket, it's surface reflecting what little light there was. Bulma hastily shook her head. She wasn't sure what to do as she clutched her purse tightly to her wet jacket, trying to ignore the dreadful feeling that was creeping up on her.   
  
She suddenly heard a soft chuckle behind her and spun around, there was another man right behind her. The dark feeling in her gut seemed to double as he too, walked up to her until she could see his face, distorted into an evil grin.   
  
"Well, What have we got here?" The second man asked, he was clearly a lot stronger than the first one.   
  
"What's a nice lady like you doing at a place like this?" he continued and Bulma could hear the other man laugh loudly at the poor joke.   
  
They both walked up closer to Bulma with smirks on their faces, she was getting _really_ scared by now. "W..what do you want?" The scared woman asked and backed away towards the buildings to her right.   
  
"You want money? Here." she said and held out her purse in a shaking hand. The first man slapped it away "We don't want your damn money, what we want is a little more….. satisfying..." A terrible feeling rushed though Bulma's body and she backed up further as the man closed in on her even more, his cruel laugh echoing through her head.   
  
Without a single warning the man roughly pushed her back, causing Bulma to let out a surprised shout. She had expected to smash into one of the houses that lined the street but instead, she fell down onto the moist ground. The man had pushed her into an alley which she hadn't even seen before because of the darkness.   
  
Bulma winched as she tried to get up, the man hadn't gone easy on her, she realized, as she felt a strong stinging on the back of her arms and head which had crashed onto the bricks scattered across the ground. She looked up and saw the first man approach her, the other stayed in the entrance of the ally. Bulma gulped and stood up on shaky legs, backing away from the smiling man who just closed in on her until she couldn't go back anymore. It was a dead end.   
  
She looked at the man, an evil grin forming on his lips. Bulma's mind raced like it never had, thoughts running around like crazy, every possible solution being presented to her by her logical brain, yet she was too petrified to even consider actually acting on any of this. She had to get away. What was he going to do? Why her?   
  
The man continued and didn't stop until he was pressed up against her, her eyes widening in shock of what was clearly inevitable. Her mind suddenly went blank as he reached up and grabbed her face, bringing it to his and capturing her mouth in a rough, unpassionate kiss. Bulma felt his tongue enter through her lips against her will and she could taste her own blood starting to flow as he roamed her mouth, breaking the soft skin of her lips.   
  
Then she couldn't take in anymore and in a blinded fit of rage she threw her leg up, striking whatever was in reach with as much force as she could master. The man roared and staggered back, holding his crotch with an extremely pained look on his face, tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes.   
  
"Need some help" the other man screamed, watching the two from a distance.   
  
"No, I've got everything under control, you'll get your turn. Just be patient." the man grunted a second later and backhanded Bulma across the face. The onna yelped and was swung aside by the force of the blow, sliding to a halt and landing in a dirty puddle of moisture, together with the gravel creating a very painful landing.   
  
She grimaced as she heard a sickening crack and felt a rush of pain tearing through her arm. She didn't get much time to do anything about it, though, as the man growled and climbed on top of her. His one hand went around her neck, almost chocking her to death with his strong fingers. Bulma struggled to breath, clasping his hand with her own in a desperate attempt to decrease the pressure on her windpipe.   
  
She felt his other hand tear open her top and he grabbed her breasts painfully rough. She whimpered, this couldn't happen to her. She gasped when felt something hard press against her leg and a hand snaking up her skirt, a single tear slid down her cheek just to go unnoticed by her aggressive assailant.   
  


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**Author's note** ~~ =^¬.¬^= 

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Oh my...the angst.... Maybe I should have rated it higher...you tell me! Anyway, prologue is now officially finished and rewritten! I really hope you all like it, I'll be posting the rewritten chapter 1 soon   
  
  



	2. Ch 1 † Memories of the past

  


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**.To trust again:::… 

* * *

  
Disclaimer:**   
DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
  
**Symbols:**   
"….." = Talking   
*…..* = Thinking   
[…..] = Author's note   
  
**Last time:**   
_ She felt his other hand tear open her top and he grabbed her breasts painfully rough. She whimpered, this couldn't happen to her. She gasped when felt something hard press against her leg and a hand snaking up her skirt, a single tear slid down her cheek just to go unnoticed by her aggressive assailant _   
  


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**Chapter 1** ~~ Memories of the past 

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She closed her eyes tightly but the tears didn't stop from streaming down, washing the dirt and blood from her face and making her cheek sting even more than it already did. It seemed as though her mind had shut itself down, there was nothing more she could do but hope he would let her live, or maybe that would be even worse…   
  
Bulma just didn't know anymore, everything had been turned upside down and all she wanted to do was be at home, with her parents feeling safe. Bulma closed her eyes even tighter as she waited for the man to make his next move. She waited, and waited but it never happened.   
  
She very carefully opened one eye to look back up, the man was still on top of her but he was looking away from her. She could only see the back of his head but she couldn't make out what he was looking at since he was blocking her view. She could hear some faint voices in the background followed by an ear piercing scream, making her blood freeze in her veins as she cringed and quickly shut her eyes again.   
  
Just a second later the man flew off of her with a loud roar and crashed into the wall beside them with a force that could have easily broken his neck, and probably did so too. As soon as she was free, Bulma didn't hesitate one second and immediately backed up into a corner of the ally, curled into a tight ball, squizing her eyes closed even harder.   
  
She tried to ignore the pain but it was too much, her cheek burned, she didn't even want to know what her arm looked like, along with her entire back which had been shredded open by the jagged ground. She slowly started to hyperventilate, she just couldn't seem to get enough air into her lungs as she started to panic and hug her knees even tighter to her shaking body. Why couldn't this just all stop!?   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta looked up from the remains of what use to be a baka human at his feet, he'd just killed the bastard and his friend after he found them trying to rape some woman. He had decided half an hour ago that he'd rather go out than sitting gin that boring kitchen just staring at the ceiling. He'd went out like this on some other occasions as well, he liked the way these streets looked at night, especially with the rain and fog that hung heavily in the air right now. The fact that no one in the right state of mind walked in this part of town at this time helped a great deal as well.   
  
And that's exactly why he'd never expected to incounter any humans here. So now he had degraded himself to saving some pathetic earthling whore, he would have just let those men have their filthy way…… if only he could. But just as he'd been about to walk away those memories came back to him. Memories he'd long since forgotten yet still haunted his dreams, memories of his mother unheard screams as that disgusting lizard….   
  
He frowned before he could finish the thought, pushed it all down like he always had and was about to fly away when he heard a soft sobbing behind him, accompanied by panicked breaths, too fast to be normal. He turned around and squinted his eyes to see through the darkness, he figured it was the woman he had just 'saved' and for some reason decided to take a closer look. His curiosity had always gotten him in trouble but he couldn't help himself.   
  
The woman was curled up tightly, shaking like a leaf. She was dirty, soaking wet and the fact that her top was missing didn't make her any less cold. He frowned slightly, she looked awful, now he was forced to help her some way or the other. He couldn't just leave her there covered in cuts and bruises, blood gushing out of the severe wound on her arm, which looked broken by the way.   
  
He slowly approached her and crouched down in front of her. Her head was buried in her knees with her arms hiding her face, showing only her wet and muddy hair. He carefully reached out and took her chin in his hand, softly pushing her face up. At first he couldn't quite see her face and looked even closer but as soon as he did see, he jerked back. His stomach churned and his insides felt like someone had ripped them apart, nothing could have prepared him for this.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma tried to swallow the lump in her throat when she suddenly heard footsteps come her way, she tightened her good arm around herself and prayed to kami it wasn't one of the men on his way to finish what they had started. She felt someone take her face and lift it up, she closed her eyes tightly in an effort to make it all go away. It didn't work, no surprise there, she heard a soft gasp and felt the person jerk away as she hesitantly opened her eyes.   
  
There was someone in front of her alright, but who. It was so dark, she squinted her eyes. Her eyes went twice their size while her heart jumped and skipped a couple of beats when she realized who it was, she threw herself at him as the warm sensation of safety drove away the dark and horrified feelings that had previously lingered in her mind.   
  
Vegeta didn't get time to regain his composure, she flung forward, clinging on to him like she would die if she let go. Seconds, minutes passed consisting of Bulma crying her eyes out with a death-grip on Vegeta, who just quietly sat there. Ten minutes later everything was quiet again as a last sob escaped Bulma's hold before she drifted into unconsciousness.   
  
Vegeta pried her off and took off his jacket, draping it around her shoulders and zipping it up to counter for her lost shirt. He lifted her up, one arm around her back and the other holding her legs securely against his side. He held her close and used his ki to warm her up, it worked and he could sense Bulma relaxing just a little bit. Vegeta took one more look at the woman in his arms and immediately levitated in the air, flying towards the nearest hospital as fast as he could without crushing Bulma by a hundred g-force.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta carefully slowed down when the hospital came into view, it was only a couple of blocks away now. He crossed them in a matter of minutes and landed in front of the large building, saying 'Satan City Hospital' on the front. Vegeta ran in, holding the badly hurt Bulma close but being careful not to hurt her more than she already was. He rushed towards the desk where a bored looking woman was busy tending to her nails, she had blond hair, far too muchllayers of make-up and a nametag which said 'Hi, I'm Cindy. How can I help you.'   
  
"Name." she mumbled, not even looking up. It took Vegeta a small second to remember "bulma." He grumbled. "last name." She said with a monotone voice. "Briefs." Vegeta hissed, getting more than a little impatient. "Please fill out these forms." She continued and dumped a stack of papers in front of him.   
  
Cindy continued her manicure, figuring the man had started writing down the useless information until she heard a low, menacing growl. She looked up, her eyes widened when she came face to face with a very angry Saiyan. "I don't have time for this." Vegeta grumbled, trying his best to keep his temper in check and his eye from twitching...too much.   
  
"B…but you have t..to fill these out s..sir.." she stuttered. "Get her some help NOW!!" he roared and slammed his fist on the desk, breaking it in two with a load cracking noise. This attracted the attention of everybody in hearing range, which was probably the entire hospital and a good part of the city and everything went deadly silent. The woman picked up the phone next to her with a shaking hand and mumbled something into the horn. A second later a horde of doctors came rushing in and took Bulma away from her rescuer, leaving him with his thoughts.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
He had been waiting for quite a while now, he didn't even know how long exactly until they finally let him in. Vegeta entered the white hospital room with a little hesitation, walking in to find a couple of nurses still finishing off bandaging Bulma. Vegeta simply gave them the evil eye and they scurried off.   
  
His frown faded, though, as he looked over at the bed, Bulma's skin looked extremely pale under the florecant lighting, her hair was still wet and had somehow lost it's clear blue appearance as she laid there, completely motionlessly. He slowly walked further into the room and stared down at her fragile body, looking even smaller than usual as she lay in the bed surrounded by machines who gave off soft beeps every once in a while.   
  
He reached out and removed a stray strand of hair out of her pale face which still had it's big, nasty bruise. His mind went sharp and his hand suddenly snapped back as he heard someone open the door, it where Mr and Mrs Briefs. They rushed to her side and Vegeta quietly left the room, not noticing the pair of eyes on him as he allowed the family to be together.   
  


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**Author's note** ~~ =^¬.¬^= 

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I didn't change too much in this chapter, just made it flow a little better, in my opinion that is ^-^ I'll start rewriting chapter 2 now, I'm hoping it won't take too long.   
  
  



	3. Ch 2 † Pushing it down

  


* * *

**.To trust again:::… 

* * *

  
Disclaimer:**   
DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
  
**Symbols:**   
"….." = Talking   
*…..* = Thinking   
[…..] = Author's note   
  
**Last time:**   
_ He reached out and removed a stray pluck of hair out of her pale face which had a big, nasty bruise on it. His hand suddenly snapped back as he heard someone open the door, it where Mr and Mrs Briefs. They rushed to her side and Vegeta quietly left the room, allowing the family to be together _   
  


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**Chapter 2** ~~ Pushing it down 

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Several days passed by while Bulma lay in Satan City Hospital, her friends and family visited every day trying to cheer her up and she got plenty of nice cards, yet nothing managed to get her old smile back. It was as if the life had been sucked right out of her, she didn't have the energy or motivation to do anything, just lie there and stare at the television like some brainless idiot. This defiantly hadn't gone unnoticed by her friends.   
  
Chi Chi sighed and leaned against her husbands shoulder as they walked through the long corridor of the hospital. "She didn't look very good today, I think it's getting worse." She said softly, not talking about her friend's physical injuries. "Nothing cheers her up, I just don't know what to do.." She continued, watching her son walking in front of them as they reached the large doors and stepped out into the fresh air.   
  
Goku nodded with a sad look on his face "I know what you mean, it was like she didn't even trust us. Like we're strangers to her." Chi Chi sniffled and tried to hold back tears, Bulma had never been her best friend or anything but it still hurt her very much to see her like that. "Maybe she just needs some time." She finally concluded before they shot off into the sky.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma carefully rested her head against the soft pillow supporting her, trying to decrease the wave of pain that shot through it as much as possible. Visiting hours where finally over and to tell the truth, she was glad they where. Every day they came to see her and it wasn't helping her newly found migrane. Now don't take this the wrong way, she was glad they even cared and stuff but things just weren't the same anymore.   
  
It now seemed foolish to her to get exited about seeing the same people every day and getting the same 'get well' cards over and over again…while she used to get exited about things like that. This made her laugh a little, how a person could change after just 45 horrible minutes. It made her wonder in what shape she would have been, had they actually finished their job… A shudder ran down her spine and she quickly pushed the thought away, turning off the television, deciding it was only increasing her headache.   
  
She brought a pale hand up to massage her temple, since her other arm was still in a cast, and closed her eyes to make the piercing hospital lights disappear. This always helped the throbbing go away, together with the thoughts of what had happened, let alone her anger about her 'hero' not even coming to look at her! She had asked her father about Vegeta but he'd simply said he hadn't seen that much of the guy, so they figured he'd just continued his training.   
  
"damn arrogant asshole." She muttered, she knew he was the one that saved her, and that she should be happy about it but it just pissed her off that the one guy she wanted to see didn't give a damn about her condition. With a painful shake of her head she cleared the thoughts from her head and decided to try and get some sleep.   
  
So Bulma tried to relax and got in a comfortable position, pulling the blanket over her legs and sinking down into the matrass when suddenly a small gush of wind ruffled her hair, causing her eyes to snap open just in time to see a figure fall away from the window. With a shocked expression she forgot about her migraine, threw the blanket on the floor and jumped out of the bed to run towards the window which was suddenly wide open.   
  
She reached it with so much speed, she thought she would've flown through it, hadn't she grabbed the frame just in time. This wasn't important enough to consider though and she peered out, heaving for her lost breath and hoping to get a glimpse of whoever had been watching her.. But it was too late, noting out of the ordinary could be spotted in the hospital's garden and on the streets beside it.   
  
Bulma shuddered slightly in the cool breeze, her heartbeats steadily returning to their original pace as the curtains flowing around her while she quickly closed the window. It took her a couple of minutes to calm her nerves but as soon as her mind cleared up, she decided she didn't want to stay in the room any longer.   
  
This was all she could take, for as long as she'd been there she had felt as if someone was watching her. She'd blamed it on her paranoia but this was just too much. She changed the barely closing gown for her normal clothes and packed the other few belongings her family had brought. Without a second thought she threw the door open and ran out, on her way home.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta held his breath as he pressed himself against the building, hiding between the thick bushes. He watched Bulma from below as she leaned forward and scanned the area while he quietly remained underneath the window. He could see the scared look on her face before she ran away, shutting the window with a loud bang which caused him to jump slightly.   
  
He slid down onto the ground, how could he have been so stupid? Now he'd just scared her even more. But he couldn't 'visit' her, his pride and reputation would shatter right before his eyes, it had already received a big blow by saving the onna and it would never survive any further humiliation. Through the years his pride had gotten him in a lot of trouble, but had defiantly got him out of a lot as well. It seemed that this time he wasn't as lucky.   
  
He had been looking over her for the last few days but only when no one knew he was there. He thought it worked quite well.. until now that is. Last thing he wanted was for her to get more freaked out. But he guessed it was a little late for that.   
  
As he continued to worry about the blue young woman, he suddenly realized what he was doing, and thinking.. He made sure to scold himself for his weakness before flying away, he couldn't believe this planet had weakened him enough to worry about some baka onna who couldn't possibly take care of herself! He really had to be careful with this woman, he'd learned a long time ago that caring only got him into trouble and he wasn't very keen on trying out the theory again.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
A yellow taxi raced through the streets of Satan city, far exeding the speed limit as it hit a water puddle, splashing the entire street as Bulma ordered the driver to go even faster. The man had found it a little strange to find a frantic woman covered in bandages and a cast around her arm roaming the streets but as soon as she told him who she was, and more importantly, showed him money, he did as he was told.   
  
After 20 minutes the car came to a screeching halt in front of the large, dome shaped building which had 'Capsule Corp.' written on the front in big black letters. The driver got a fair amount of money and a quick thanks before Bulma scurried off into the night, making sure she didn't forget her bag in the process.   
  
Bulma ran across the lawn which was still moist from the night before, and headed towards the back door which would lead her into the kitchen. She fumbled with the keys and in her hurry it took her a while to find the right one but as soon as she did, she flung the door open and smashed it shut behind her, making sure to lock it again.   
  
Her heart pounded in her throat and she leaned back against the door with a tired sigh, dropping her bag to the floor. This was just too much..   
  
She didn't get much time to catch her breath, though, as her head suddenly snapped up and her blood ran cold on it's own account as she heard someone walking around in the living room, which was connected to the kitchen. Bulma swallowed hard and slowly approached the wall between the two rooms. Pushing down he fear as much as she could and grabbing one of the kitchen chairs, she looked around the corner and held her breath.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta walked into the living room, deep in thought over what to do about his little 'situation' when he suddenly bumped into the little wooden table next to the couch. "Shit!" he cursed and lifted his leg, holding his foot in an attempt to stop the light pain running through it.   
  
He sleepily made his way over towards the kitchen to get his usual midnight snack after training but was suddenly stopped by a chair crashing into him. He lost his balance, standing on one foot and all, and fell backwards onto the floor with an angry grunt. He looked up through the darkness and spotted a figure running away and storming up that stairs.   
  
"what the hell…."   
  


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**Author's note** ~~ =^¬.¬^= 

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Phew, that's a prologue and two chapter rewritten in 24 hours, together with a whole bunch of letters my mom wanted me to typ… I think I've had my share of writing for today…. I'll continue rewriting this fic tomorrow, hopefully….   
  
  



	4. Ch 3 † A master plan

**.To trust again:::…   
  
Disclaimer:** DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
**Symbols:** "….." = Talking *…..* = Thinking […..] = Author's note   
  
  
Last time on 'to trust again'   
  
_ _.-+†+-._ He frowned and stared at the door where Bulma had stood just 10 minutes earlier. He was determined not to let history repeat itself, he was going to have to help Bulma through this, he wouldn't let her end up like his mother. New memories of his mother's death began to surface but he wouldn't let them, and with a growl, he ran out of the room _.-+†+-.__   
  
**Chapter 3** ~~ A master plan   
  
Bulma sat in her room, the lights where out and the curtains closed. It was 9 in the morning but she didn't want to be bothered, she just sat there, staring into the dark room that suddenly didn't feel so safe anymore. But she didn't feel safe anywhere at the time so she figured her room would have to do. Her mother had come up to her a couple of times but couldn't get a real response from her daughter so she called her husband, who didn't know what to do either so they just left her there, in the dark.   
  
There was a knock on the door. "yes." Bulma responded in a soft, flat voice.   
"Bulma honey, are you hungry?" A concerned question came from the other side of the door.   
"No."   
It was silent for a couple of seconds before Mrs. Briefs answered, her voice didn't sound as happy and careless as it used to.   
"Okay, I'll just leave it out here. For when you change your mind."   
Bulma listened to her mothers footsteps that slowly faded away before everything went quiet again.   
  
She sat there for a good hour, just trying to sort everything out when there was another knock on the door, but not nearly as soft and hesitantly as her mothers. "Woman!" Bulma sighed as she recognized the harsh voice immediately. "Get lost Vegeta." She said, just loud enough for him to hear.   
"Onna, that stupid machine broke again. It can't even withstand a blast that wouldn't even hurt one of those pathetic weaklings that you call fighters around here!" Bulma sighed, couldn't he ever give her a break. Didn't he know what had happened to her? Off course he does. She told herself. He just doesn't care…   
  
Vegeta brought his fist down on the door again, he hated to do this but it was the only way to snap her out of it. He had to keep her busy so she wouldn't get a chance to drift away. He had to keep her with him. He didn't have to wait very long 'caus the door slowly opened a second later and a lifeless Bulma came out. Vegeta watched her walk by, her cheek was still a little red but had started to heal nicely a day ago, her back was a little broader because of the large bandage around it and her arm still had it's cast. He grimaced, the last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain but he didn't have a choice. If he let her rot away in her room, she would get so depressed she'd never get better. And by that he didn't mean her wounds, they would heal fine, he meant herself, she'd never be the same old Bulma they all knew and he wouldn't, couldn't let that happen.   
  
Bulma angrily connected another broken wire to the panel with a large frown on her face, how dare he do this to her! That bastard! She screamed in her head, she'd get him for this… Suddenly an idea popped up in her head and her frown turned into a wicked grin as she started working harder to get her job finished in time.   
  
Vegeta quirked an eyebrow as Bulma walked into the kitchen. "It's finished." She simply said, got herself a cup of coffee and disappeared again. This can't be right. He thought and stuffed his last sandwich in his mouth, pondering Bulma's behaviour as he started on his way towards the G.T.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Later that day Bulma sat on the couch in the living room, not even paying attention to the television that was playing some boring old movie. Her mind was somewhere else completely, working out her plan to get even with Vegeta…She didn't even notice how all the thoughts about what happened only a week ago never even entered her head… *I just have to wait until that blockhead Vegeta breaks the training bots again, which won't take too long, and I'll have the perfect opportunity to make him pay.* Bulma thought angrily. But then her thoughts started to drift. But wasn't he the one that saved you, didn't he blast those bastards to hell and back for you? The questions came to her automatically and automatically Bulma pushed them away again. That bastard doesn't care about anyone but himself, he deserves it. She answered sternly and continued working out her plan.   
  
Just 2 days later a loud yell filled the air and Bulma's face contorted as an evil grin spread across her face, now it was her time to get even.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta closed the heavy door behind him with a frown on his face and waited for the lights to turn on. Something was up but he couldn't figure out what… The onna had been distracted the last few days, he would have expected her to lock herself up in her room but she'd just continued working in her lab. He sighed, walked up to the control panel and typed in 200 to get warmed up. By now he was used to training at 500 times earths normal gravity but he always got started at 200. As soon as the gravity was all the way up, the drones came into action. They where smashed to bits that morning by a diverted blast and the strange thing was that Bulma fixed them without too much complaining. Something defiantly was up. He shook his head and eyed the robots carefully as he shot a medium strong ki-blast at one of them, crunching down into a fighting stance.   
  
The blast bounced from side to side for a while as Vegeta kept dodging it but after 5 minutes, it suddenly stopped. Vegeta turned around to look at the drone that had last touched it. The stupid thing must still be broken. He figured and was about to approach it when it started humming softly. His eyebrow rose just a little bit when the robot started glowing a soft red. Than, without any warning, it shot off two blasts, each as powerful as the first one Vegeta had released.   
  
Vegeta dodged the energy just in time and they rushed past him with incredible speed, he didn't remember programming them to do that…Both blasts where bounced back but each time they hit that one robot, they multiplied. It all went so fast, Vegeta hardly got time to react in order to dodge the blasts and come out alive. In no time there where 8 balls of energy racing through the room, Vegeta hadn't been hit yet but he knew he couldn't handle any more so he had 2 choices… Wait for hundreds of blasts to finally finish him off, or take out that one drone. But that would mean he'd need time, and that was one thing he didn't have. But he had to try, anything better than being killed by your own attack…   
  
He waited for the right opportunity but by now there where 16 blasts aimed at him so he quickly gathered his last bit of energy, everything he had was in that and he defiantly couldn't afford to make any mistakes. He formed the energy into a small, glowing ball, still furiously working on not getting hit. Everything went in slow-motion, he flew up, aimed and released the blast, hoping his aim wasn't off. It hit the robot and it exploded, scattering into a thousand bits but it was too late for Vegeta, he could feel the ki blasts coming at him, all of them. He closed his eyes, it was all he could do until he was surrounded by a blinding light and his ear splitting scream filled the air as an agonizing wave of pain washed over his body   
  
  
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	5. Ch 4 † Deja vu

**.To trust again:::…   
  
Disclaimer:** DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
**Symbols:** "….." = Talking *…..* = Thinking […..] = Author's note   
  
  
Last time on 'to trust again'   
  
_ _.-+†+-._ Everything went in slow-motion, he flew up, aimed and released the blast, hoping his aim wasn't off. It hit the robot and it exploded, scattering into a thousand bits but it was too late for Vegeta, he could feel the ki blasts coming at him, all of them. He closed his eyes, it was all he could do until he was surrounded by a blinding light and his ear splitting scream filled the air as an agonizing wave of pain washed over his body _.-+†+-.__   
  
**Chapter 4** ~~ Deja vu   
  
A few seconds later Vegeta's broken body hit the floor with a slight thud and the safety device shut off the immense gravity to leave the room quiet. Vegeta just stayed down for a few seconds as waves of pain tore through his body. A little later they slowly stopped, being replaced by a dull feeling and with a pained groan Vegeta opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. His entire body felt as if it had been shoved through a meat grinder. He grimached at when he tried to move his leg, something told him that wasn't good. With a sigh he just quit trying, what the hell had just happened? He asked himself, together with a thousand other questions and after considering it for a while, every answer seemed to lead to a certain blue haired Onna.   
  
Vegeta snarled angrily and rolled over, pushing himself up. He looked at the ground between his hands where a small puddle of blood had started to form, running down his arms. He couldn't believe it, did she do this on purpose? And if so, why? What the hell did he do to her to deserve this, he had saved her sorry ass for crying out loud!   
  
"Aaarrgghhh!" he screamed out in fury and stood up abruptly, ignoring the pain searing through him as he made his way towards the door, limping and slugging forward a bit. How dare she, he saved her and this is how she repaid him, and she had the nerve to always lecture him about gratitude. Ha! What a joke!   
  
He reached the house with not as much trouble as he thought he would and slammed the door open, almost making it fly off it's hinges. "WOMAN!!" He screamed and leaned against the wall for a second to regain some of his energy. He left a bloody print on it as he left but he couldn't care less, it was time for some revenge. When he didn't get an answer he just continued walking into the house, first towards the living room. No one there, secondly the kitchen that was connected with the living room, empty too. That just left one place, the third and final possibility where the Onna would most likely be, her laboratory…   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma sighed and leaned back in her chair, paperwork was so tiring.. She scribbled down her autograph on one of the many sheets of white paper in front of her but she was quickly interrupted by the slight shaking of the floor. "What the…." She sat quietly for a second, trying to figure out what had happened. Probably a small earthquake, they'd been having those quite often lately. She shook her head slightly and continued her work. Minutes passed by and she was about to sign the last paper of the day when suddenly her pen shot away from the paper and onto the desk, leaving a long, blue line across the paper. But this didn't matter, all that mattered what the furious Saijin in her doorway.   
  
"H..hi Vegeta." She stuttered nervously, this couldn't be good. Vegeta was covered in cuts and bruises, not to mention blood. He had a nasty gash on his arm and a large cut down his leg. His eye twitched dangerously as he slowly approached the desk. "Explain." He simple stated and Bulma gulped. "NOW!" He shouted and brought his fist down onto the desk, startling Bulma and causing her to jump up from her seat. This sudden action shook Bulma back into realty, or maybe out of it and she glared at the dangerous Saijin on the other side of the desk.   
  
"You want answers, fine! You had no right forcing me to fix that stupid gravity machine! I was almost fucking raped! And you expect me to do whatever you want like nothing happened!" she stated and poked him in the chest with her index finger, earning a low growl.   
  
"So you decided to do this to me, and after what I did for you. I should have left you with those bastards to get raped, so m-" he was interrupted by a hand slapping him across the face, jerking his head back. He slowly turned around gain, seeing a furious Bulma in front of him. He opened his mouth to scold her but was again interrupted by her hand, followed by her harsh voice.   
  
"How could you say that, you have no idea what I went through! How could you, you're just a heartless bastard that wouldn't know compassion if it kicked him in the gut! I don't regret ordering those robots to blast the crap out of you, you deserve it. I doubt you've ever known how to care for someone! You're a cold hearted, selfish asshole that'll be alone the rest of his fucking life. We'd all be better off if we left you dead on Namek, it was a mistake to wish you back anyway." Her voice had started to get eerily soft by now but still contained it's previous anger as she looked Vegeta in the eye and continued. "A waste of a wish, you have never loved and never will, you will die alone, cold and bitter and no one will grieve over you……Just like Freeza." She spat the last words at him like venom, not even noticing the small sign of hurt flashing through his eyes.   
  
That emotion soon vanished and was replaced by anger, pure anger with no room for clear thinking. He growled and slowly approached Bulma, who's own anger had slowly made place for fear as she realized exactly what she'd just said.   
"How dare you say that, you don't know what my life was like, you don't know whether I care or not and you sure as hell don't know Freeza or else you wouldn't say that!! You don't know anything about me!" He screamed, probably more pissed off than he'd ever been. He thought she was different, he actually thought he could trust her and now she jut stabbed him in the back, like so many others before. But this was the last, he'd thought the exact same thing all those years back and shut everybody out completely but somehow this mere Chikyuu woman had found a way through his defences, but no more. This would end right here, right now!   
  
Bulma silently watched as Vegeta started walking towards her. She stumbled back, almost tripping over the chair but with her eyes still glued on Vegeta. Fear was evident in her eyes but the Saijin didn't notice or just didn't care as he continued to walk up to her.   
  
Suddenly Bulma's surroundings darkened, her warm, familiar office disappeared, slowly replaced by the dark, cold alley she knew all too well. She watched the tiles on the floor shape into those hard bricks that tore open her back, when she suddenly heard a snarl. Her head snapped up and to her horror, that monster, the very man that had haunted her dreams for so long was closing in on her.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta approached Bulma, never had someone angered him this much. Well, almost never but he didn't care at the moment, he just couldn't believe she had just said that! He snarled and watched as Bulma backed up until there was nowhere left to go, she looked at him with large eyes but he didn't notice. He was too infuriated. Anger clouded his mind as his hand shot out to grab her throat, lifting her up and pressing down even harder. Bulma let out a chocked cough and struggled to get free, her small hands clamped around Vegeta's but it was no use. He squeezed harder, causing Bulma to let out a small whimper. He looked in her eyes, they where huge and full of fear..but somehow blurry. Than he noticed the tears, rolling down her cheek to lightly hit his hand to splash apart.   
  
Suddenly he blinked, what was he doing? With a shocked look he let go and Bulma fell to the ground to curl herself into a tight ball yet again. He looked at her with regret, scolding himself for his stupidity. He crouched down in front of her and softly touched her arm but it was slapped away. Bulma looked at him with fear, so much fear..he couldn't handle it. Not when it came from her eyes. He reached out again but Bulma stood up sharply, crying out for him to get away from her. She lunged herself at him and pushed him back onto the floor, but got up immediately and sped off. Through the door and across the hall in record time as tears streamed down her face. Vegeta scrambled to his feet as fast as he could and limped after her, now only wanting to turn back time so all of this would have never happened.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma ran faster than she'd ever ran, bolting through the hallway and out the kitchen door, she had to get away. She ran across the lawn on her way to the forest behind the house, she'd be safe there. She used to play there as a kid all the time, it was the only place she could hide since she knew every inch of the green land. Reaching the edge of the forest she looked back but didn't bother to stop, she could see the man chasing after her, strangely limping but she couldn't care less, it was only one tiny factor in her advantage. She rushed through the woods as sharp leaves cut her body and ripped her clothes. Everything went by so fast, she didn't even know if the man was still after her but a quick look proved he was still there. Her energy slowly ran out as the minutes passed, not even the shock of adrenaline could help her now. Her heart raced and she could feel her last power slip away. She stopped and looked around, the woods where eerily quiet but after a second she could hear the man coming towards her.   
  
She looked around, desperate for anything to help her get away from a gruesome fate, but there where just trees, trees everywhere. As a last resort she decided it was her best bet, she was a pretty good tree climber as a young girl and was sure she hadn't forgotten. With a sudden spurt of energy she ran towards the tree that looked like the best one to climb but to her horror, she didn't notice the tree root sticking out of the ground and before she could do anything, she tripped. With a grunt she fell on the moist ground, landing painfully on her broken arm. She was about to get up when she felt a strong hand wrap around her arm. Without looking she swung her fists at the invisible attacker, letting out a terrified shriek.   
  
Her fist hit something soft and she could hear a startled cry, for some reason she was happy she's given that bastard one last blow before being killed but that feeling was soon swept away when he grabbed both her arm, immobilizing her.   
  
  
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	6. Ch 5 † Running away

**.To trust again:::…   
  
Disclaimer:** DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
**Symbols:** "….." = Talking *…..* = Thinking […..] = Author's note   
  
  
Last time on 'to trust again'   
  
_ _.-+†+-._ Her fist hit something soft and she could hear a startled cry, for some reason she was happy she's given that bastard one last blow before being killed but that feeling was soon swept away when he grabbed both her arm, immobilizing her _.-+†+-.__   
  
**Chapter 5** ~~ Running away   
  
"Let me go you f*cking bastard!!!" Bulma screeched into the damp air, thrashing around like crazy which didn't help anything. The man had an amazingly strong grip. "Why are you doing this, let me go!" she tried to scream but her voice wavered and cracked as she started to cry. After kicking out one last time she fell limp in his arms, her spirit had sunk and she truly didn't care anymore. There was no way she was going to get out of this one. It seemed her luck had run out. Somehow she'd expected it.you couldn't hang around with people like her friends, live through so many adventures without eventually having something bad happen. It seemed ironic to her, all her life she had fought to prove to everyone she was independent and could take care of herself, but look at her now.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta stared at the broken woman in his arms, how did he manage to make things worse every time? His anger had faded by now and he could only scold himself for his stupidity as he shifter her in his arms. When she was in a reasonably comfortable position, he looked at her face, her eyes where closed, her body was shivering slightly as she hugged herself tightly. "Onna." He said softly but didn't get a response. He frowned and repeated himself, a little harsher this time. Bulma just whimpered and tightened her arms around herself.   
  
"Damnit woman!" Vegeta was tired of this, she had to defend herself, not cower and roll up waiting for the danger to go away. "You've gotte stand up for yourself, fight for kami's sake!" He was practically screaming at her, unable to deal with the situation. Bulma just looked up at him with those large, innocent eyes filled with tears and sniffed. They looked at each other for a couple of seconds before Bulma looked away and buried her head in her arms again.   
  
Vegeta snarled, how was he supposed to get through to the woman and help her if she wouldn't listen to him? With a frown he collected the bit of power that had returned to him by now and slowly flew up above the treetops to start their way back.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta entered Bulma's large bedroom through the balcony. He walked to the bed quietly so as not to wake her up, she'd fallen asleep on the way over. She had been totally exhausted. He carefully laid her down on the king sized bed and removed her shoes, covering her with the large fluffy blanket. She stirred and Vegeta was about to leave when Bulma grabbed his wrist. "Vegeta." She whispered, opening her eyes slightly to look at the Saijin prince next to her.   
  
Vegeta turned around to show her he was listening. "Will you please stay with me, just for tonight. I really don't want to be alone right now." She asked, everything was just so confusing, she had no idea what had just happened. Just yesterday she had thought she was finally able to move on with her life but now she realized she had just bottled everything up. Pushing everything down so it just had to come out one way or the other. And today it had, and it was hell.   
  
Vegeta grunted and she closed her eyes, expecting him to walk away and leave her but the heard a shuffling noise on the other side of the room and opened her eyes to see Vegeta making himself comfortable on the small couch in the corner of the room. A smile crossed her lips and she thanked him softly before drifting off into a restless sleep, not even sure if he had heard her.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma shot up from the bed as she woke up with a startled gasp. Her heart pounded in her rib case and she leaned on her arms, waiting for it to calm down. Why did that nightmare continue to haunt her? What would she have to do to get rid of it..maybe there was nothing she could do. She shook her head slightly to rid herself of the last traces of her dream and glanced at the alarm clock on the small table next to the bed. It read 3.00 She sighed and rested her head against the pillow, she just knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again.   
  
She stared into the dark room and listened to the sounds of the wind ruffling through the leaves as her thoughts drifted back to the events of the other day.. it was all so weird. Her life had taken such a strange turn and just when she thought she had everything in order again, this happened. She still wasn't sure exactly what had happened, she just remembered Vegeta being angry at her, she'd seen that look of anger in his eyes before but never directed at her. Just the thought of it made shivers run down her spine. Then everything had disappeared and she was back in the alley about to be attacked. Next thing she remembered was looking into Vegeta's face but he didn't seem to be angry at all..more like confused. Then he'd screamed at her but she didn't remember what. And now she was in her own room again.   
  
Suddenly she wondered where Vegeta was. She remembered asking him to stay but she wasn't sure whether he'd complied or not. While she thought this she sat up and looked around the room. It was so dark but she could slightly make out a form on her couch, aided by the soft moonlight that shone through the cracks in the curtains.   
  
She looked around the room again, it was so dark. Everything seemed to glare at her, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. She knew that sounded weird but it was the only way she could describe the vibe she got from her once safe room. Then her eyes diverted to the couch again and without a second thought she crawled out of the large bed and walked across the room, looking around her as if something could jump out of the darkness any second. She reached the corner of the room where the small rays of light hit Vegeta's face, making him look so handsome, his lips slightly parted to let out a soft whistling sound each time he took a breath. She glanced into the dark room nervously and settled down next to the prince, making sure not to wake him up. With a small sigh she rested her head against his shoulder and suddenly felt safe enough to close her eyes as she drew her legs up to spread them across the soft couch.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
A small ray of light hit Vegeta's face as he squinted his eyes to make it go away, he was so comfortable. He lay there for a couple of seconds before it got through to him, he'd never been comfortable, why was he so relaxed? He opened his eyes slowly to let them adjust to the warm light, stirring slightly. He felt something move against him and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw Bulma snuggled up against him, his arms wrapped around her waist. But what scared him the most was that it actually felt..good. He was actually comfortable with the woman in his arms. How could this have happened! He screamed at himself. Had he..bonded with the onna? The thought scared the shit out of him..he had sworn not to rely on anyone, to be totally independent and reject everybody that dared to come close to him. But if he bonded, that would mean he wasn't independent at all, he wouldn't have pushed everybody away.   
  
This couldn't happen. He thought and let go of Bulma who moved slightly and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, causing his stomach to flutter. He got the sudden urge to hold her again, to keep her safe from everything that would hurt her, to make her his.   
  
No, he had to leave! He shouted at himself and quickly manoeuvred away from Bulma who luckily didn't wake up. He took one more look at the woman on the couch, the sun lightened her face to make her look even more beautiful than she already was. He let out a snarl and tore his eyes away from her, how could he have weakened so much? Without looking back he stomped out of the room, no way was he going to stay to become even softer, no way was he going to bond   
  
  
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	7. Ch 6 † No more hope

**.To trust again:::…   
  
Disclaimer:** DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
**Symbols:** "….." = Talking *…..* = Thinking […..] = Author's note   
  
  
Last time on 'to trust again'   
  
_ _.-+†+-._ No, he had to leave! He shouted at himself and quickly manoeuvred away from Bulma who luckily didn't wake up. He took one more look at the woman on the couch, the sun lightened her face to make her look even more beautiful than she already was. He let out a snarl and tore his eyes away from her, how could he have weakened so much? Without looking back he stomped out of the room, no way was he going to stay to become even softer, no way was he going to bond _.-+†+-.__   
  
**Chapter 6** ~~ No more hope   
  
Vegeta walked through the house, fighting the urge to go back to Bulma's room. He reached the kitchen door and opened it to be greeted by a still rising sun. How he hated those happy, cheery days when that ball in the sky wouldn't stop shining , it always seemed to give him a headache. He growled and was about to blast off into the air when something occurred to him. If he really had formed a bond with the woman, at any degree, he'd have to get as far away from her as possible before it got the chance to develop any further. So just moving to the other side of the world wouldn't cut it. He frowned and tried to think of a solution but his thoughts kept landing on one place, the one place far enough to possibly stand a chance against a forming bond, space.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma woke up abruptly as a loud noise filled the air around her. She sat up quickly as it took her a while to recognize the sound but as soon as she did, she shot up and ran to her balcony doors. She tore the doors open and ran into the warm air, clamping onto the railing to stop herself from tumbling over the edge with all the speed she'd used. Her eyes darted across the bright sky as she followed the noise and her eyes landed on a circular space ship tearing through the clouds.   
  
"VEGETAAAA!!!!" she screamed helplessly as she watched her only hope disappear, her only chance to trust again.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta sighted and sat down on the chair in front of the control panels. He gazed through the large window in front of him to see the blue planet grow smaller and smaller. He wondered why he had stayed on earth for so long in the first place. He could have just taken the GR like he had now and be done with all that shit the puny planet brought with it. But for some reason he hadn't. He let out an angry growl, he knew why but he wasn't about to admit it, not even to himself. He shook his head to rid himself of the Onna's face, right now he had to find out where to go. It wasn't as if he was exactly liked on most planets after the things he did in Freeza's name. It somehow seemed ironic to him that even after his death, the bastard could still find a way to set him back. After considering his options for a while, he came to the conclusion that he was far too tense to be able to make a wise decision. So he stood up and decided to calm down a little the only way he knew, by training.   
  
After only 5 hours Vegeta had to stop, realizing he hadn't eaten anything since he left earth he made his way to the lower section of the ship and looked around for something edible. He'd never really took the time to find out what was in that part of the ship but Goku used it to live in on his way to Namek so he figured it at least contained some type of food if it could even keep that idiot alive.   
  
Vegeta spotted a huge refrigerator in the corner of the room and made his way to it, eager to fill his empty stomach. He jerked open the door as his jaw fell to the ground anime style when he saw it's contents....nothing at all.   
  
What was he supposed to do now, he was starving. >No way am I going back to the woman like some dog with my tail between my legs, I'd rather die. > he thought angrily and figured he probably would if he didn't get something to silence his appetite soon. As a last resort he ran down the list of nearby planets in his head, trying to find a suitable one to get something to eat. His mind stopped at one particular one, it was a big planet, mostly used for trading stuff between races.   
  
It wasn't inhabited by one particular race, so it would be easy to blend in. But he didn't have any money. He couldn't steal the food, it wouldn't be very honourable, not to mention the commotion it would cause. If word came out the Saijin prince was still alive he'd be hunted down, and for a good reason too. He sighted and dropped himself on the soft bed in the middle of the room, this was going to be a lot harder than he'd thought.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta woke up, sprawled out onto the bed. He groaned as his empty stomach protested at the lack of food. He had missed at least 2 breakfasts, lunch, dinner and a couple of midnight snacks. He strained to stand up and walk as he made his way to the shower, almost regretting leaving earth before he mentally smacked himself on the head.   
  
A little later he was sitting in the black chair again, looking out into space while trying to keep his mind off of two things; food and Bulma. But both continued to haunt him. He wished that planet Vegeta was still there, then he'd know exactly where to go, but it was foolish to think that way and he knew it. He considered his options again before he realized he didn't have any.except for one. But did he really want to risk that? Wasn't there anything else he could do? He sighed and leaned forward to type in the coordinates, even though he wasn't sure about his choice but he couldn't float around in space forever.   
  
After 18 hours that went by way too slow, a soft beep signalled they where about to enter the planets atmosphere as the ship started shaking slightly. The movement increased rapidly but only for a couple of seconds before everything went quit again and the landed on the ground surprisingly easy. This was nothing new for Vegeta and as soon as the ship stopped, he stood up and hit the button next to the door. It opened with little difficulty, revealing a planet that looked a lot like planet Namek. The grass was blue and the sky shaded green. But it had a lot more vegetation than Namek, purple plants and trees dotted the patch of grass the ship rested on. Vegeta stepped out and hoped he still knew where to go, and if Revlis was still on the planet.   
  
Revlis was an old 'friend' of Vegeta. They used to be in Freezas army together and both had plans to overthrow the giant lizard but Vegeta has lost track of him after he ended up on earth. But even though they used to have the same goal, Vegeta was never really sure about the guy. There was something he didn't completely trust but he couldn't put his finger to it so he always blamed it on himself for being too suspicious. Without another thought he jumped into the air and flew across the lush planes, trying to dig up anything he could remember about the planet in order to find his way.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma moaned in exhaustion while she tightened the last bolt on her latest invention. Ever since Vegeta had left a couple of days ago she'd been in her lab continuously without taking a break. It was all she could do to stop herself from thinking about a certain Saijin. She just knew it would drive her crazy, but she had no idea why he'd left, did she scare him away, had he just grown tired of the planet or was it something completely different? He was just so confusing sometimes. But as she thought about it, he was confusing all the time. She was beginning to think he was starting to warm up to her a bit, but it seemed just the opposite had happened. Bulma groaned and leaned back in her chair, she was thinking about him again, she couldn't stop herself. He just had to come back, there wasn't much fuel in the ship and no food at all and kami knows how much food Saijins need. She convinced herself he'd come back and continued working, ignoring the little voice that was telling her something completely different...   
  
  
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	8. Ch 7 † Something's wrong

**.To trust again:::…   
  
Disclaimer:** DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
**Symbols:** "….." = Talking *…..* = Thinking […..] = Author's note   
  
  
Last time on 'to trust again'   
  
_ _.-+†+-._ She was beginning to think he was starting to warm up to her a bit, but it seemed just the opposite had happened. Bulma groaned and leaned back in her chair, she was thinking about him again, she couldn't stop herself. He just had to come back, there wasn't much fuel in the ship and no food at all and kami knows how much food Saijins need. She convinced herself he'd come back and continued working, ignoring the little voice that was telling her something completely different _.-+†+-.__   
  
**Chapter 7** ~~ Something's wrong   
  
Vegeta had only been flying for 15 minutes when he came across a large city. High, spiked towers became larger as he approached them, making the smaller houses below look like nothing. Vegeta made sure not to fly over the city, he would attract too much attention. Instead he landed a few meters in front of it and decided to take the safe way and travel by foot. Fortunatly, the city had lots of little alleys and streets where it would be easy to blend in. He just had to make sure no one saw him and he'd be fine.   
  
Vegeta looked around when he heard talking and footsteps. His breath stuck in his throat and he quickly rounded a corner as two purple aliens walked past him. Vegeta let out a relieved sigh and continued walking .   
  
30 minutes went by that consisted mainly of Vegeta hiding in the shadows to prevent being seen. Finally Vegeta found himself on the right path, he now knew where he was going so it should be pretty easy to get to Relvis' house without being spotted. He walked through an older part of the city, keeping his head down as much as possible as he stalked through the shadows. Every now and then a head would turn to see who they thought they saw walking in the shadows was, but every time the stranger would disappear right before they could recognize the man.   
  
Finally, after creeping around through the most disgusting places you could think of, Vegeta reached the part of the city he had been looking for. A row of small, narrow houses lined the empty street that had darkened considerably since nightfall came much earlier on this planet. He looked around warily before shooting across it, immediately hiding in the shadow of the houses as he reached the other side. He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his vanes, the thought of being discovered was scary but thrilling at the same time. One second the thought of trying to take over some planets again crossed his mind, being wanted in the entire galaxy, having more foes that imaginary, living life on the edge seemed appealing but he quickly shook the though from his head. He didn't want to go through that again, and he had no idea what had been happening while he was on earth, it was possible that opponents stronger than him had stepped up, new technologies been developed that could stop him, he didn't know and he didn't plan on finding out either.   
  
He looked around the street, no one there but he'd learned a long time ago that thing weren't always what they seemed so he decided to keep hidden while silently approaching the right house. The houses didn't have numbers in this part of the galaxy so he had to rely on his memory, he'd seen the house one time when Revlis showed it to him on a mission to a nearby planet. Vegeta just hoped he still lived there, was still alive at the least. He stopped in front of a building that looked exactly the same as all the others but his intuition told him this was the one. He squinted his eyes to see it clearly but after a few second he could make out the small sign besides the door that said 'Revlis Amaroid'. Vegeta smirked, knowing his instinct hadn't failed him yet and softly knocked on the door.   
  
He waited impatiently for an answer and finally got one when the tiny hatch in the wood opened and an eye peered through. "what do you want." The voice demanded as Vegeta made sure his face wasn't visible for the man, after all he wasn't even sure if it was the right alien that lived in the house. "Revlis?" He asked in a rough voice, hoping whoever stood on the other side of the door wouldn't recognize it. "Who wants to know." Came an answer after a while. Vegeta smirked again as he recognized the slightly squeaky voice.   
  
"Open the door you idiot, it's me." Vegeta replied and stepped into the light that shun through the hatch. There was a soft gasp and the sound of someone hurridly unlocking the door as it opened a second later to let out a gush of warmth and light. "Vegeta!?" the purple alien asked in an unbelieving voice and Vegeta just nodded as he was urged in and Revlis quickly closed the door behind him.   
  
As soon as Vegeta was inside he was bombarded with questions, where he had been, why he was there, what had happened after they last saw each other, how he was, everything you can think of. Now that Vegeta got a good look at the man in front of him he was overcome with a sudden feeling of safety, it was good to see an old friend again but what he didn't notice was that it took over every sense of suspiciousness he'd had before, which wasn't necessarily a good thing…   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
After two days of living with his old friend Vegeta was training in the GR again. He'd answered most of Revlis' questions by now but he'd made sure to let out a certain group of people and the dragonballs. After being busy for 6 hours he decided to take a break. The door opened as Vegeta pushed the button and he closed his eyes as the cool wind blew past him, cooling down the warm sweat that glistered on his body, causing him to shiver. After a few seconds Vegeta opened his eyes again and started walking towards the house. It was night again and it was the only time he dared to venture out of the GR or the small house he'd been living in lately.   
  
Vegeta stepped onto the strangely coloured grass but stopped when he heard soft noises coming from the house. He could hear the door opening but it was impossible to see anything through the dark air. "Revils?" Vegeta asked quietly and waited patiently before getting an answer. "Yeah!" he heard and let out a relieved sigh, continuing towards the house but before he could reach his friend, he doubled over in pain as he was his in the stomach by an invisible fist. Vegeta groaned but didn't have time to react since his arms where immediately pulled back into a strong hold. Vegeta opened his eyes and looked over towards the house where a sudden light came from to see his friend standing in the doorway with an amused smirk. It was the last thing he remembered seeing before he felt a stinging pain in the back of his neck and everything disappeared as he fell into a restless sleep.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma was again in her lab, or was it still. She didn't know but she'd been going through some thing on the computer when she got this strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Like something was wrong. "Vegeta.." she whispered softly without knowing. Vegeta, where did she get that? Why would she think there was something wrong with him? Maybe she just needed some rest, or food. Bulma saved her text on the computer and stood up to get something to eat. Te house was strangely quit as she walked down the stairs, everything was different without the loud Saijin around. All the silence was getting on her nerves and she admitted she missed him but was that enough to think about Vegeta whenever she gets a strange feeling? That was just absurd. She sighted and let it go, she didn't want to worry about such things, if she did she'd never get any sleep. She made herself a sandwich and went to her room, hoping she wouldn't be thinking about that one prince all night like she had the last couple of days.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta groaned as he slowly woke up again, every part of his body hurt like hell but he pushed the pain away as he felt he was being dragged away by his arms. Immediately he tried to open his eyes, to stand up, to blast the guys away but he couldn't move, not a muscle in his body reacted to his orders so the only thing he could do was wait. After what he guessed was half an hour he was dumped on a hard floor and he could hear a heavy door close with a screeching sound, followed by the sound of a key turning in a lock. Last thing he remembered hearing where the soft footsteps fading away before he was swallowed by a complete silence.   
  
Bulma bolted awake, her chest heaving with lost breath and a thousand things running through her head, something's wrong with Vegeta…   
  
  
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	9. Ch 8 † Dark fate

**.To trust again:::…   
  
Disclaimer:** DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
**Symbols:** "….." = Talking *…..* = Thinking […..] = Author's note   
  
  
Last time on 'to trust again'   
  
_ _.-+†+-._ After what he guessed was half an hour he was dumped on a hard floor and he could hear a heavy door close with a screeching sound, followed by the sound of a key turning in a lock. Last thing he remembered hearing where the soft footsteps fading away before he was swallowed by a complete silence. Bulma bolted awake, her chest heaving with lost breath and a thousand things running through her head, something's wrong with Vegeta _.-+†+-.__   
  
**Chapter 8** ~~ Dark fate   
  
The air was filled with a distinct odor that only few recognized as the large ship glided through the dark space, no one knowing exactly what went on in it's hidden chambers. The giant machine had been on it's way for several hours by now after picking up their guest which lay still in the same position as it had from it's arrival. Darkness shrouded the small room as Vegeta lay on the cold floor, incapable of doing anything but listen to the heart wrenching screams and pained moans that would fill the air so many times. Some lasted for what seemed like an eternity, others only for a fraction of a second before being cut off without warning. But all of this was nothing new for Vegeta who grew up with these things, he never stopped trying to block all of it out, even though it always found a way through his defences, haunting his mind with an eternal scream of agony.   
  
Over the years of his childhood Vegeta had learned to ignore it all as much as possible, but now it all came back to him with a wave of fear. Fear of history repeating, fear of all those memories he'd buried so long ago. Vegeta wasn't sure how long he had been laying there, just listening as he could feel himself slowly drifting away when suddenly, to his surprise, he could slightly move his index finger. Very slowly, the other four followed as he desperately tried to move the rest of his body. But it was no use, he had to wait for whatever drug they gave him to wear out, which felt like forever to the fallen Sayian. Finally, after he could use his hands and parts of his leg, he felt the muscles of his eyelids starting to respond to his orders as his eyes carefully opened.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
For the first time in days the Briefs' had finally convinced their daughter to get some sleep, although to Bulma it seemed impossible to get any rest with her mind crowded with thoughts and all. She was lying in her bed, silently staring at the ceiling. A slight breeze ruffled the long curtains, accompanied by the soft noises of the leaves outside. Bulma sighed and glanced at the clock to see it was almost midnight, she wondered what Vegeta was doing. With a small groan Bulma turned on her side, catching her thoughts drifting off again to where she didn't want them to go. The last few days she had tried everything to keep her mind off of Vegeta, and it seemed very strange to her that suddenly, her previous experiences didn't seem as important anymore. She figured she'd got over it and didn't think much of it. All she seemed to care about now was Vegeta, and where the hell he was.   
  
She had tried to track the spaceship down by transmitting a message but it didn't work, all she got was static on the screen. Together with her father she had tried some other stuff too but nothing seemed to work, it was extremely frustrating and she was beginning to get worried. But every time she did, she reminded herself that Vegeta had been off in space for the bigger part of his life and he defiantly knew how to defend himself, which reassured her a little but always failed to take away the gnawing feeling in the back of her mind.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Vegeta squinted his eyes to see through the dark space and as the seconds passed things became slightly clearer allowing Vegeta to distinguish vague shapes surrounding him. The most clear feature was the narrow line of light in front of him, lining the floor hinting a door to be above it. This light helped him a little to make out a shadow on the wall to his right, there seemed to be some sort of bunk, probably not too comfortable from the looks of it and judging from past experiences. He kept on searching for anything else but it was difficult since there only seemed to be four walls and a lack of..well, anything else. Yet he managed to make out a square shape next to the bunk and after closer inspection, he figured it was some kind of bucket but no way was he going to find out what was in it. Whatever it was, it couldn't be pleasant he figured and closed his eyes again, his tiny cell was nothing out of the ordinary, at least nothing different from what he'd been used to.   
  
He couldn't help to wonder why everything seemed so familiar, offcourse he knew why, but it all seemed a little too familiar for comfort. But even in these strange conditions, his mind always seemed to divert itself to one thing, Bulma. And this didn't make him happy to say the least, he had to think of a way to get out of here but he continued to wonder where she was, what she was doing, how she was doing… Every question you can think of kept running through his head but they all had to do with this one onna.   
  
Vegeta shook his head to clear his thoughts, he had to straighten thing out first. >Fucking Revlis! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him, if I find who ever he's working for…Ah, finally. I can move my other leg. +silence+ I wonder how the Onna's doing…. Damnit! If I could move my arm I'd smack myself. Where would she be? AARGH! Would you shut up already. Oh Kami, I'm talking to myself, I've gone mad!> This continued for another couple of hours until Vegeta eventually managed to move his arms and smack himself across the head (AN: lol, I just had to write that, I know it isn't funny but I couldn't help myself… Sorry if I completely slaughtered the mood here. I'll just continue with the serious part)   
  
Vegeta grunted and lifted himself up, leaning on his elbows as he stared at the door which had a small hatch in it. Why couldn't he get the Onna out of his head, even when he was in so much trouble she'd haunt him. He grunted, tired of lying on the cold floor as he rolled over on all fours. He took a deep breath and stood up, wobbling slightly but standing none the less. He now got a completely different view of the room which wasn't exactly spectacular. There where no windows what so ever, there never where. He sat down on the shaky bunk and buried his face in his hands, his elbows leaning on his knees. He was so tired, the drug must still have some effect he figured before he rubbed his temples and ran over every possible scenario in his head, everyone that could have possibly done this to him but all he was able to conclude was that it had probably been someone out for revenge. Someone whose planet had once been destroyed by the Sayians, something like that. He'd seen it so many times before.   
  
Vegeta sighed as his stomach rumbled, he hadn't had anything to eat since he left Revlis' house and that was nearly a day ago by now. The thought of his old, back stabbing friend filled him with anger but he knew it was of no use while he was trapped in the tiny room so he tried his best to bottle it up, it would only cloud his mind. Unfortunately, Bulma did manage to find a way through his defences and Vegeta had been so lost in his thoughts he never heard a door open in the distance, he never heard the soft, but heavy footsteps approaching or the key turning in the lock until the door opened with a screeching noise, breaking the silence that hung heavily in the air. Vegeta's head snapped up as a bright light entered the cell, and all he could make out what a large silhouette against the blinding light.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
The form grew larger, approaching Vegeta who had already sprung up and gotten into a fighting stance despite the sleep that still lingered in his mind. It stood there for a couple of seconds, it's heavy breathing lingering in the cell as he approached the angry Sayian with lack of caution. As soon as he was within reach, Vegeta swung his fist at the creature, figuring it's mass would slow him down. This theory soon shattered as the alien blocked the punch, snapping something around Vegeta's wrist within the blink of an eye. Vegeta didn't seem to notice however and continued his attack by sending his other fist at his opponent with as much power he was able to muster. His attack did hit the alien, but was useless however as it didn't seem to hit him as hard as Vegeta had wanted it to.   
  
This made Vegeta stop dead in his tracks as the creature threw his head in it's neck and a loud laughter could be heard across the ship. "What the.." Vegeta seemed speechless as he stared at his fists, having trouble to stand up. A gasp escaped his lips as he noticed the device caught around his wrist, a red light shining brightly as it seemed to absorb all of his power.   
  
The alien seemed amused as he grabbed Vegeta's arm and dragged the still stunned Sayian into the light. "W.what is this thing? Why can't I use my powers?" Vegeta demanded as he was pushed forward, just barely being able to keep standing.   
  
"Walk." The guard simply ordered as Vegeta turned his head and caught a glimpse of his face. A long row of spiked points ran along his head, stopping just above his tiny eyes, His entire face seemed to have been squished, creating the disgusting face Vegeta now saw in front of him. But it didn't stay there long when Vegeta had to turn his head as he was nudged forward by the impatient alien. As the two walked down the long, metal corridors Vegeta continued to ask questions but each time he'd get the same answer: "I am not at liberty to say…"   
  
After about six more, long halls the guard reached out and grabbed Vegeta by the neck, stopping in front of two large doors. "I'll ask you one more time, who the fuck ordered this!" Vegeta roared as he shook the rough hand off, getting tired of not getting any useful answers. "Let's find out." The guy said and tore his fist down on the on the heavy door in front of them. There was a short silence as both of them listened intently until they could hear a voice call from the other side, strangely soft but still very audible. They didn't have to do anything as the doors slowly opened, seeming way too heavy for the small hinges it hung on.   
  
Vegeta was pushed in the back as the strange alien urged him into the large room. Vegeta stumbled on his feet but recovered soon enough to hear a soft chuckling from the other side of the room. With a deep frown Vegeta turned around, already opening his mouth and taking a deep breath to bombard whoever dared to capture him. But all this was lost as soon as he caught a glimpse of his captor, his eyes bulged and all thoughts disappeared from his mind as he could only stare in shock at the creature in front of him, which only laughed at it's prisoners' terror.   
  
  
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	10. Ch 9 † A new goal

**.To trust again:::…   
  
Disclaimer:** DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
**Symbols:** "….." = Talking *…..* = Thinking […..] = Author's note   
  
  
Last time on 'to trust again'   
  
_ _.-+†+-._ Vegeta was pushed in the back as the strange alien urged him into the large room. He stumbled on his feet but recovered soon enough to hear a soft chuckling from the other side of the room. With a deep frown Vegeta turned around, already opening his mouth and taking a deep breath to bombard whoever dared to capture him. But all this was lost as soon as he caught a glimpse of his captor, his eyes bulged and all thoughts disappeared from his mind as he could only stare in shock at the creature in front of him, which only laughed at it's prisoners' terror _.-+†+-.__   
  
**Chapter 9** ~~ A new goal   
  
Vegeta froze as he looked at the all too familiar face in front of him, mocking him like so many times before. "well, aren't you going to bow down to me? It is the polite thing to do when facing one's master. But oh well, what can you expect…from a monkey." The alien chuckled at his extremely unoriginal joke and made a small gesture with his hands, a second later Vegeta was roughly forced on his knees, incapable of doing anything except stare in shock at the creature sitting on his large throne. "haha, I see that our little prince is at a loss for words, this should be a first I think." He spoke and stood up, ordering the guards to leave the room as he slowly approached his prisoner.   
  
"You..you're dead.." Vegeta exclaimed, unable to think straight as his most feared opponent stood just a couple of feet away. The heavy doors closed with a loud bang, echoing for a few seconds before leaving the two in utter silence as Freeza stepped closer. But Vegeta didn't notice, the very creature responsible for all the torture in his life, every little thing he had seemed to cause. The relief had been incredible as he'd heard of his demise just a year ago, but facing that same horror again was too terrifying to imagine, all his hopes for a free life down the drain like it was nothing at all, it left him helpless against the same threat.   
  
The only sound that could possibly be heard where Vegeta's sharp intakes of breath, accompanied by the soft tapping of Freeza's feet against the hard floor. The pink and white lizard stopped in front of Vegeta, hovering over him with a cruel smirk but the prince failed to look up, even as a powerful blow was delivered to his face, sending him scattering across the floor, he didn't react. He merely groaned as he crashed into the wall with an incredible force, able to crack anyone's head. Anyone except for a Sayian prince that is and he slowly got to his feet with only slight difficulty, staring intently at the creature in front of him.   
  
Freeza just stared back, the look of pleasure and malice still plastered on his face as he suddenly disappeared. Vegeta blinked but unable to react as a knee was forced into his stomach, quickly followed by a fist connecting with his jaw, causing him to crash into the same wall again. He didn't fall though as he let out a painful moan, slowly opening his eyes, not surprised to see that cruel face just a few feet away. Vegeta growled at him, that punch had felt a lot harder than usual. But as he took the opportunity to get a good look of Freeza, he noticed that the alien didn't look like he remembered, metal plates partly covered his body, making him look even stranger with the white, purple, metal mix. Vegeta smirked slightly, the fact that a third class Sayian had managed to do this to Freeza was for some reason amusing to him.   
  
"what are you smiling at!" a slightly confused Freeza demanded, only getting a grin in return. This angered him and he got ready to send another attack Vegeta's way to wipe that smirk off his face.   
  
Hours passed as it became clear to Vegeta that he was no match for Freeza, he coughed and watched as dark red blood began to encircle him, spilling onto the floor creating a large puddle. Vegeta sat on all fours watching it grow larger, his vision slightly blurry when the surface was suddenly rippled as Freeza stepped in it as if he had done nothing else his entire life, which could very well be true Vegeta thought before he got up on shaky legs, standing as straight as possible and ready to meet whatever was in store for him with open eyes.   
  
"Sayians and their damn pride." Freeza muttered and sent his metal fist towards the proud prisoner, not stopping until there was nothing left of him.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma stood on her balcony in the middle of the night, watching the stars with sad eyes. The dreadful feeling in her stomach had still to fade away and it was driving her crazy. She felt so responsible for Vegeta leaving, she just knew he was in some sort of trouble and despite her efforts to tell herself otherwise, the feelings continued to haunt her. With a small sigh she looked down, leaning with her elbows on the edge of the balcony, it was all her fault, why did she have to snap like that, why did she have to get her stupid revenge… Her vision blurred slightly as a lone tear ran down her face, falling into the darkness never to be seen again.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
A small trail of blood trickled down Vegeta's face as he painfully opened his eyes only to realize he was back in the small cell. He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, he had lost consciousness after another hour or so with Freeza who certainly hadn't been holding back, his entire body felt like it was on fire. He closed his eyes again in an attempt to distract himself as a groan escaped from his lips, he still couldn't believe Freeza was actually back, just the thought of it made his head spin. He wondered how he had survived though, Goku had managed to become a super sayian. Could it be that even if he achieved his goal, he still wouldn't be able to kill him? This thought made Vegeta's stomach churn, all his hard work would be in vain, a lifetime of training all for nothing…   
  
Vegeta snarled and shook his head to rid himself of that thought, ignoring the stinging pain in his skull as he did so. He had to concentrate on a way to get out, there must be a possibility to escape the giant lizard in order to gain strength, he thought. This brought back memories of his youth though, memories of a small boy trying to escape, memories of the consequences, memories he didn't want to dig up. But it was no use as he felt every muscle in his body tighten at the incredible anger which flowed from those memories. They also brought something else with them, something Vegeta denied to have, an incredible sadness.   
  
He already knew what would follow, the next thought to cross his mind was recent and he didn't want to remember, it would surely drive him over the edge of sanity which was already so close. With determination still fresh he pushed it all down again, which was becoming increasingly difficult as the years, days and even hours passed by. He felt as if his head was about to burst from the strain, the millions of thoughts seemed to have only one purpose, to drive him crazy and he could already felt it tugging at his mind. More than eager to swallow him whole.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
Bulma sat on the small couch in her room, remembering how she had laid there with Vegeta just a couple of days ago, it already seemed much longer than that. She cursed herself as more tears escaped her hold, how was she ever going to get her life straightened out again? She couldn't continue living like this, worry, sadness and anger always on her mind. This couldn't continue, se thought and mindlessly plucked at the furry blanket draped over the seat, she couldn't continue her life without Vegeta.. She took a deep breath and looked down, biting her bottom lip to stop it from quivering.   
  
Okay, she thought sadly in an attempt to line up her possibilities. 1, Vegeta is alright and I'm just overreacting…not a possibility. 2, Vegeta will come back to me on his own. But judging on her intuition, this wasn't an option either, it told her something was very wrong. Bulma continued; 3, I live my life continuing to worry about him, also, not happening. This only left her with one option, it scared her a little but she knew it was her only choice. With that in mind she got up with a new found energy, a new goal in her life and she wasn't about to let it pass. She got up and rushed through the hall, earning surprised looks from everyone she passed on her way to her private lab. It was the first time in days they had seen her in such a good mood and it made them wonder exactly what had gotten into the girl, and Bulma was the only one that knew.   
  
  
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	11. Ch 10 † Wishing for better days

**.To trust again:::…   
  
Disclaimer:** DBZ belongs to Akria Toriyama   
**Symbols:** "….." = Talking *…..* = Thinking […..] = Author's note   
  
  
Last time on 'to trust again'   
  
_ _.-+†+-._ This only left her with one option, it scared her a little but she knew it was her only choice. With that in mind she got up with a newfound energy, a new goal in her life and she wasn't about to let it pass. She got up and rushed through the hall, earning surprised looks from everyone she passed on her way to her private lab. It was the first time in days they had seen her in such a good mood and it made them wonder exactly what had gotten into the girl, and Bulma was the only one that knew _.-+†+-.__   
  
**Chapter 10** ~~ Wishing for better days   
  
Half an hour later Bulma sprung up from her seat with a huge smile and marvelled at the piece of equipment in her hands, complimenting herself on her brains. To any outsider who knew a little of Sayians, it would look just like an ordinary scouter, only it wasn't. Not by a long shot. She had hooked it up to her computer and translated everything from Sayian to English, which took a really long time since Sayian consisted of loads of different signs and some even meant the same thing, only different in the sentence. Off course she hadn't built the entire thing on her own, it was way too complicated for that. Instead she had repaired an old one she had found a long time ago on the deserted battlefield where the Sayian had fought, it was a miracle it had survived the clash. She had forgotten about it due to all the commotion lately but she couldn't be happier to remember it. Now she was able to track down ki's. But now she thought of it, there was one big problem…it wouldn't be able to distinguish different ki', and one large group of energies would be easily mistaken for one big one.   
  
This caused her to slump back in her seat, she was never going to find him now. She knew he basically had one of the highest ki's in the universe but it would be way too risky to go after the highest ones, what if she ran into some really scary villain guy. (o.O;;) She sighed and looked at the small machine again, there had to be a way. She could try to track the ship again, but it would be way too far by now, like finding a needle in a haystack.   
  
Her happiness quickly faded at the thought of all her hopes, ideas and work going to waste, not to mention her excitement about seeing Vegeta again. And even though she knew she'd been pushing her luck a little too much with hoping to see Vegeta again, she couldn't help but to be sad. She got up from the chair and walked to the window, staring at the sky as if the answers lay there. Kami, help me… she thought with a defeated sigh, she didn't think she'd ever wanted anything as bad as to see Vegeta again, to apologize, to tell him how she felt, to simply hear his voice and see his face... And she didn't even know why, but it seemed that every second she spent without him bugging her, she missed him even more.   
  
As she stared at the sky her mind wandered off, her father had always told her the answers lay somewhere between those clouds, if only you search hard enough… She slightly chuckled at this, how could she have ever believed that childish saying? But as she watched the clouds slowly drift away to reveal countless bright dots scattered across the vast emptiness, a thought cam from out of nowhere… What if the answer was up there? What if a simple visit was all it would take. What if she asked Kami….   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
A soft humming filled the air while Mr Popo happily watered the small flowers perfectly lined up on the lookout. Everything was peaceful and serene until suddenly a load rumbling noise disturbed the silence, causing the sleeping birds to wake up and scatter across the sky. "Oh my." The big guy mumbled and dropped the watering-can as a noisy chopper set down on the tiled floor. The yellow door opened and out came Bulma, crossing her hands over her head in an attempt to stop her hair from tangling as she ran towards the stunned Mr Popo.   
  
"Hi Mr Popo." She said as the big blades on the plane slowed their pace. "Uhm..hello." he answered, still quite surprised but managing to gather his thoughts before totally zoning out. "How may I help you Miss Briefs." He asked with a small bow of respect.   
  
"Just call me Bulma," she smiled, "I'm looking for kami. Do you know where he is?" she asked, looking around for the green alien with anticipation vividly in her eyes.   
  
"Well, it's 1 AM so he's probably sleeping.." Just as Popo said these words, the green man came running from the large building in the middle of the platform. Only now Bulma realized it was the middle of the night, she hadn't even taken notice of this in her hurry.   
  
"What's going on here." The dishevelled guardian asked and looked at the blushing woman. "I am terribly sorry for disturbing you at this hour, kami. But I have something very important to ask you," Bulma asked, slightly embarrassed at her choice of time.   
  
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure it is quite urgent for you to come rushing all the way up here at this hour." Kami said and inquired about her request. Bulma told him about the events of the last couple of days, trying to line them up so that it made sense, even though it wasn't even all clear to herself. Kami nodded and thought about it. "I am afraid I can't help you with that." He finally said and Bulma's hope crashed, along with her smile. "But I do know someone who can!"   
  
The smile reappeared on Bulma's face even brighter than before as Kami told her about King Kai, asking for a minute to contact him. Bulma waited patiently as the guardian closed his eyes and remained silent for the rest of the time. No more than 10 minutes later Bulma got her answer. "King Kai said he had already noticed the large ki leaving space but he hadn't thought much of it when he found out it was Vegeta, since he had already disappeared before. I wonder why that was by the way…" Kami trailed off but quickly corrected himself when he noticed the impatient look on Bulma's face and knowing very well about her temper, he got straight to the point.   
  
"He had lost track of it and didn't manige to fully locate it again. All he can tell you is that the last place he knows for certain the spaceship was, is at b57e2;h490f near planet Yellup." Bulma made sure the coordinates had a secure place in her mind as she quickly thanked the god and his servant to head back home again in pursuit of her destiny, leaving the two behind to wonder exactly what was going on.   
  
-(~~*~~)-   
  
A small trail of light brightened the battered prisoner's face as he winced when another wave of pain sore through his body. He'd just gotten back from another 'meeting' with Freeza. He had insisted he joined him like before but Vegeta refused. Time and time again he had to swallow his pride for that bastard but not anymore, he'd rather die but Freeza wouldn't let that happen for now… He wasn't the kind of person to free his prisoners from the strict captivity that fast. He always made sure they suffered enough to either pledge allegiance to him, or kill themselves. And from Vegeta's point of view, neither of those would occur any time soon.   
  
So he was left there with only his slipping sanity to keep him alive. The only thing was that it seemed to continuously divert itself to a certain woman which Vegeta didn't want to be reminded of. But as he lay on the cold floor, blood encircling him and seeping through the small cracks of the floor, he began to notice that something was different, something out of place.   
  
He could feel it, if only he knew what it was. Was the woman in trouble again? But he had no way of protecting her! How could he help her while trapped in that awful place, so far away. Then his thoughts hit him at full force, why was he thinking like that? Why did he care so much while he had learned so long ago that caring only brought pain…   
  
He groaned to himself as his thoughts tangled into an impossible knot. Why did this have to happen to him, was it his punishment for killing so many people, but he thought he'd gotten that back on Namek. A small tear escaped Vegeta's hold, could his life be any more fucked up? The drop fell down but never hit the floor as it faded into the spilled blood, forever stained.   
  
  
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End file.
